Rod-gong for striking-clocks.



1. I. ROBERGE.

ROD GONG FOR STRIKING CLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.30. 1917.

Patented June 11, 1918.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH I. BOBEBGE, OF WATER'BUBY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB TO W ATEBBURYCLOCK CO., OF WATEBBUBY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION.

BOD-GONG FOB STBIKING-CLOCKS.

Specification 01 Letters Patent. Patented June 11, 19 18.

Application filed August so, 1917. Serial No. 188,954.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosnrH I. Bonuses, a citizen of the United States,residing at Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rod-Gongs forStriking-Clocks; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings and the characters ofreference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, and which said drawings constitute part of this application,and represent, iii- Figure 1 a 'view partly in side elevation, andpartly in section, of a rod-gong constructed in accordance with minvention.

Fig. 2 a view in side elevation of another rod-gong embodying myinvention.

Fig. 3 a detached view of a single gongrod rovided with a plurality ofcollets.

y invention relates to an improvement in rod-gongs for clocks, theprimary object being to elfect an economy of space in clock cases by theuse of relatively short rods ,without sacrificing depth of tone. Afurther object of my invention is to provide for modifying the sonorousquality of gong-rods without changing their length.

With these ends in View, my invention consists in a gong-rod providedwith one or more collets.

My invention further consists in certain details of construction as willbe hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

As shown in Fig. 1, I have applied myinvention to a rod-gong comprisingfive rods 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, decreasing in length in the order named, therod 2 being designed for use in striking the hour, and the remainingrodsfor sounding the notes which make up a so called Westminster chime. Allof these rods are reduced in diameter at their butt-ends to form necks 7which increases their amplitude of vibration, this being acommon'practice. The extreme or butt-ends of the rods are flattened asat 8 to adapt them to be driven into holes 9 formed one above the otherin a cast metal base or gongstand 10 provided with a foot 11 by means ofwhich it is secured in place, though this may be done in any desiredmanner. The forward ends of the holes 9 are enlarged as at 12 to formchambers which receive the necks 7 of the rods, and leave the rods freeto vibrate when struck. The longer the rods the slower the vibrations,and the deeper the tone. However, rods long enough to secure deep tonesrequire large cases. I have discovered that by providing the rods withone or more collets 13, relatively short rods may be given the sonorousquality of long rods. Thus, the rod 2 of the gong of Fig. 1, is providedat its extreme end with a collet 13 which so lowers the tone of the rodas to make the tone thereof quite distinctive from the tones of theWestminster-chime rods 3, 4, 5 and 6. In this particular gong,therefore, the rod 2 is used for striking the hour, while the rods 3, 4,5 and 6 are used for the Westminster chime.

In the gong of Fig. 2, the rods 14, 15, 16 and 17 are each provided witha collet 18, these rods bein arranged in a group for use in striking theour upon the major chord of the Westminster chime. The gong is alsoprovided with a rod 19 having a collet 20, and used in sounding thechime, but excluded from the major chord, with which it does notharmonize, in striking the hour. It will be understood that the rods 14,15, 16, 17 and 19 are otherwise constructed and mounted the same as therods of the gen of Fig. 1.

The sing e gong-rod 21 shown in Fig. 3, is furnished with three collets22, 23 and 24, these being adapted to be shifted upon the rod asrequired to lower its tone and to modify the character of its overtones. I do not limit myself to any particular number and arrangement ofrods, nor to the number of collets employed, that being left to thedictation of circumstances. Nor'do I limit my self to any particularmethod of securing the collets in place. Thus the collet 13 is drivenupon the rod 2, while the other collets shown, are mounted so as to beadjustable, and held in place by set-screws 25. The collets inaccordance with their positions on the rods serve to change generallythe pitch and intensity, either or both, of every overtone, and so thecharacter of the sound.

1. In a striking mechanism for clocks, a gong-rod consistin of a solidstraight vibrating rod rovi ed with a collet.

2. In a stri 'ng mechanism for clocks, a gong-rod consisting of a solidstraight vibrating rod provided with a collet adjust- Westminster ablein the direction of the length of the In testimony whereof, I havesigned this} rod. specification in the presence of two subscrib- 3. In astriking mechanism for clocks, aing witnesses. series of gong-rods and asupport therefor in JOSEPH T. ROBERGE; 5 which the rods are mounted andcapable of Witnesses: v

vibrating, and a collet on any number of the J. R. PU'Eii'AM, rods. W.J. SMITH.

